Canada twenty-seven were killed and wounded, while the casualties among the western tribes are not reported."

It was a retreat full of terror for the remnant of the army back to Fort Cumberland. Braddock was wounded on the field of battle. He died about eight o'clock on the evening of Sunday, the thirteenth. The next day he was buried in the road, and the retreating force passed over his grave so as to obliterate all signs of it, as it was feared the Indians might find it and mutilate the body.*

With the defeat of the army under Braddock, there disappeared nearly every trace of English interest, for the time, west of the Alleghany mountains. The Senecas and Monseys upon the upper waters of the Alleghany river and the Delawares at Kittanning and farther down; the Shawanese at Logstown and at the mouth of the Scioto; the Wyandots at Muskingum and Sandusky; the Hurons, Ottawas and Pottawattamies near Detroit; the Miamis proper, with the Weas and Piankeshaws, on the Maumee and Wabash ; the Indians of the Illinois; the Chippewas of the upper lakes-all were now French Indians; they could all be relied upon as enemies to the English. The French fort on the Sandusky, near the site of what is now Fremont, Sandusky county, had been given up and the small garrison had gone

*The history of Braddock's defeat has often been given to the public, more or less in detail. It is only necessary to refer the general reader to 'The History of an Expedition against Fort Du Quesne in 1755,' by Winthrop Sargeant, M. A. In connection with this, Parkman's Montcalm and Wolfe,' Vol. I, pp. 199-233, should be consulted.

back to Detroit. The Wyandots thereupon moved down to the south side of the bay where they established their village upon a small stream called the "Rockfish," (in their language, "Sunyendeand,") not far from the present Sandusky, in Erie county. This was in 1754. Here was erected a store-house by French traders.‡ In the interior portions of the present Ohio, there had been, since the journey of Gist to Pickawillany, considerable change as to location of Indian villages. At the confluence of what is now known as the Vernon river (formerly Owl creek) with the Mohican, there was located, in 1755, a small Indian town occupied by Delawares, Mohicans and Caughnewagas. The name of this village was "Tullihas." Some Mohawks also were among the residents of the place. To the northward, on the Cuyahoga river, at a point a considerable distance up that stream from its mouth, there had been a small Ottawa village on the east side, and on the west side dwelt a few Mohicans; there was also a "French house" near by, a depot for French goods belonging to traders. However, before the close of 1756 all these had disappeared. || At Hockhocking, in

The exact date of the evacuation of this post is unknown. It is certain that the French had no fort on Sandusky river or Sandusky bay in 1754, nor later.

This is dignified as a fort upon Lewis Evans' map of 1755, and named "Junundot," evidently intended for " Wyandot."

The fact of the existence of these two villages and the "French house" is evident by a reference to Lewis Evans' map of 1755, where they are distinctly noted; but it is equally evident, from a narrative

the immediate vicinity of what is now the city of Lancaster, county-seat of Fairfield county, where Gist, in 1750, found only four or five Delaware families, there was, in 1755, a village (sometimes, at that period, called "French Margaret's") of considerable size. Maguck, which, it will be remembered, was a Delaware town of about ten families at the time of Gist's visit, and was located on the Scioto on the north side of the Pickaway plains, had now disappeared, and a village of the same tribe, but considerably larger, was located further up that stream, at a point on its west side within the present limits of the city of Columbus. These were all the changes known to history upon Ohio's soil during the first five years of the last half of the eighteenth century. There had been, on the whole, a considerable increase in the Indian population during that time. Roving bands, in various parts, hunted and trapped for skins and furs, in the proper season, disposing of their stock either at Sunyendeand (Sandusky) or Detroit.

The consternation upon the western frontiers of Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia, upon the news being received of the defeat of Braddock, was very great. There was nowhere any protection from the inroads of the savages, who now began their appalling ravages. The most wanton cruelties were continued through

entitled, "An Account of the Remarkable Occurrences in the Life and Travels of Colonel James Smith," that they had disappeared before the close of 1756. Smith's narrative has been re-printed as number five of the 'Ohio Valley Historical Series,' by Robert Clarke & Co., Cincinnati: 1870. (See p. 56, of the re-print for Smith's account of his going up the Cuyahoga, in the fall of 1756.)

out the year by war-parties, which were frequently led by Frenchmen. They came not only from the Ohio, but from the wilderness beyond. A young prisonera lad of eighteen years-who had been taken to Tullihas, afterward remembered that a Mohawk warrior called "Pluggy' was there, who, with a party, was prepar ing to go to war upon the frontiers of Vir. ginia. But, before starting, it was necessary to perform the war-dance. At this dance they had both vocal and instrumental music. They had a short, hollow gum, closed in one end, with water in it, and parchment stretched over the open end thereof, which they beat with one stick and made a sound nearly like a muffled drum. All those who were going on this expedition collected together and formed. An old Indian then began to sing, and timed the music by beating on the drum, as the ancients formerly timed their music by beating the tabor. this, the warriors began to advance or move forward, in concert, like well-disciplined troops would march to the fife. and drum. Each warrior had a tomahawk, spear or war-mallet in his hand, and they all moved regularly towards the east, or the way they intended to go to war. At length they all stretched their tomahawks toward the Potomac, and giving a hideous shout or yell, they wheeled quick about, and danced in the same manner back."

stantly repeated while the war-song was going on. When the warrior that was singing had ended his song, he struck a war-post with his tomahawk, and with a loud voice told what war-like exploits he had done, and what he now intended to do, which was answered by the other warriors with loud shouts of applause. Some who had not before intended to go to war, at this time were so animated by this performance, that they took up the tomahawk and sung the war song, which was answered with shouts of joy, as they were then initiated into the present marching company."

"The next morning," the narrator adds, "this company all collected at one place, with their heads and faces painted with various colors, and packs upon their backs; they marched off all silent, except the commander, who, in the front, sang the traveling song, which began in this manner: 'hoo caughtainte heegana.' Just as the rear passed the end of the town, they began to fire in their slow manner, from the front to the rear, which was accompanied with shouts and yells from all quarters."* Such is a description of the setting out of the first war-party known to history, from what is now Ohio, to war against the frontier of Virginia. the return of Pluggy and his party, they brought with them, a considerable number of scalps and prisoners from the south branch of the Potomac. "They also brought with them," says the writer before quoted from," an English bible, which they gave to a Dutch [German] woman

On

who was a prisoner; but as she could not read English, she made a present of it to me, which was very acceptable."

Before the ending of the year 1755, the young captive was with some hunters on Rocky river, a stream well known as rising in Medina county, Ohio, and flowing into Lake Erie, in Cuyahoga county, about seven miles west of Cleveland. The savages concluded they must have horses to carry their loads and they determined to go to war, notwithstanding the inclemency of the season, to obtain them. "They then began," says the account already mentioned, "to go through their common ceremony. They sung their war-songs, danced their war-dances, etc. And when they were equipped, they went off singing their marching songs and firing their guns. Our camp appeared to be rejoicing; but I was grieved to think that some innocent persons would be murdered not thinking of danger." There were four of the warriors who went out upon the war-path. Some time in February, 1756, they returned with two scalps and six horses, from the frontier of Pennsylvania.†

The year 1756 brought no relief to the western borders of Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia. Each of these provinces had made a chain of block. houses and wooden forts to cover its frontier; but the savages preferred to ravage the lonely and unprotected farms rather than attack even the weakest of these stockades. However, a war party led by a French officer laid siege to a Virginia. fortification but was repulsed; though another force attacked Fort Granville, on the Juniata, in Pennsylvania, killing or carry

+Smith's Narrative (Cincinnati re-print), pp. 32, 36.

ing into captivity its defenders and occupants. But a retaliatory expedition under Colonel John Armstrong, soon after destroyed the Delaware Indian town of Kittanning, called "Attiqué," by the French, located, it will be remembered, on the Alleghany river. At this time, Dumas was in command of Fort Duquesne.

Let us now turn our attention to the Ohio wilderness. At Sunyendeand, in June, the Wyandots were all engaged in preparing to go to war against the frontiers of Virginia. James Smith-the young captive, whose narrative, subsequently written, we have before freely quoted from-was there then. In speaking of the warriors who were going upon the warpath into the settlements of Virginia, he says: "They all marched off, from fifteen to sixty years old; and some boys only twelve years of age were equipped with their bows and arrows and went to war; so that none were left in town but squaws and children, except myself, one very old man, and another about fifty years of age, who was lame."

"The two old Indians asked me," continues Smith, "if I did not think that the Indians and French would subdue all America, except New England, which they said they had tried in old times. I told them I thought not. They said they had already driven them all out of the mountains, and had chiefly laid waste the great valley betwixt the north and south mountain from Potomac to James river, which is a considerable part of the best land in Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania, and that the white people appeared to them like fools; they could neither guard against surprise, run or fight. These, they

said, were their reasons for saying that they would subdue the whites. They asked me to offer my reasons for my opinion, and told me to speak my mind freely. I told them that the white people to the east were very numerous, like the trees, and though they appeared to them to be fools, as they were not acquainted with their way of war, yet they were not fools; therefore, after some time, they will learn your mode of war and turn upon you, or at least defend themselves. I found that the old men themselves did not believe they could conquer America, yet they were willing to propagate the idea in order to encourage the young men to go to war." The warriors divided into different parties, and all struck at different places in what is now West Virginia. When they came back they brought with them a considerable number of scalps, prisoners, horses and other plunder. One of the prisoners was a lad, apparently sixteen or seventeen years of age, named Arthur Campbell. About three years afterward, he escaped from the Indians and returned by way of what is now Pittsburgh, to Virginia. In after years, he became distinguished in civil and military life, particularly as commander in a successful expedition against the Cherokees, in 1781. He died in Kentucky in 1816. “As the Wyandots at Sunyendeand," says Smith, "and those at Detroit were connected, Mr. Campbell was taken there; but he remained sometime with me in this town. His company was very agreeable, and I was sorry when he left me. During his stay at Sunyendeand, he borrowed my bible, and made some pertinent remarks on what he had read. One passage was

where it said, 'It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth.' He said we ought to be resigned to the will of Providence, as we were now bearing the yoke in our youth."

"There was," continues the narrator, "a number of prisoners brought in by these parties, and when they were to run the gauntlet I went and told them how they were to act. One John Savage was brought in, a middle-aged man, or about forty years old. He was to run the gauntlet. I told him what he had to do; and after this I fell into one of the ranks with the Indians, shouting and yelling like them; and as they were not very severe on him, as he passed me, I hit him with a piece of pumpkin, which pleased the Indians much, but hurt my feelings."*

Throughout the whole of the year 1757, scalping parties of savages from the transAlleghany wilderness continued their work of devastation and death upon the frontiers of Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia. In the last-mentioned province, Washington, stationed at Winchester with a force of seven hundred men, was called upon to defend the western border of more than three hundred and fifty miles in extent. The noble valley of the Shenandoah was almost deserted of its inhabitants, and fast relapsing into a wilderness. In Pennsylvania very little was done to protect the western frontiers: so, also, in Maryland; and, as a consequence, the settlements west of the Blue Ridge were well-nigh deserted; there was a general flight of settlers from the upper waters of the Potomac. About the first of June, in the

* Smith's Narrative (Cincinnati re-print), pp. 46, 47-50.

Wyandot, Pottawattamie and Ottawa towns near Detroit, a number of warriors were preparing to go to war. Joined to these were a great many Chippewas who had come down from the upper lakes. After singing their war songs and going through their common ceremonies, they all marched off against the frontiers of the three provinces just mentioned. Sometime in August the warriors returned, and brought in with them a great many scalps, prisoners, horses, and much plunder. The common report among the young warriors was that they would entirely subdue Tulhasaga-that is, the Morning Light inhabitants, meaning the English. The suffering upon the borders was indeed awful. The end of the year saw Fort Duquesne, the principal source of all this trouble, left undisturbed by the British.

When, in 1758, William Pitt assumed control of the British government, there was soon a change in American affairs. His policy, bold, liberal and enlightened, greatly animated the colonists and inspired them all with new hopes. "His first aim was to take Louisbourg, as a step towards taking Quebec; then Ticonderoga, that thorn in the side of the northern colonies; and lastly, Fort Duquesne, the key of the Great West." We shall only refer to the last. The expedition was placed under the command of General John Forbes. His army consisted of between six and seven thousand men, British regulars and provincials. Early in July, LieutenantColonel Henry Bouquet was encamped with the advance-guard at Raystown, now Bedford, Pennsylvania. It was determined to cut a road thence to Fort Duquesne direct. Having built a fort at